Category Archives: Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture

I am Justin Shubow

President of the National Civic Art Society, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that promotes the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture. Eleventh Chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency comprising seven presidential appointees who are the aesthetic guardians of Washington.

Interviewed on the Who Versus Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on May 31, 2025

On May 29, 2025, I appeared on the Who Versus podcast for a fun and freewheeling discussion about architecture, power, and the values embedded in our public buildings. What began as a discussion of Brutalism and the movie The Brutalist … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, Eisenhower Memorial, Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Frank Gehry, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, HHS Building, HUD Building, L'Enfant Plan, McMillan Plan, Mies van der Rohe, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, National Mall, Nazis, nihilism, Philip Johnson, President Donald Trump, The Brutalist, uncategorized, Walter Gropius, Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C. Metro | Leave a comment

Interviewed by Le Point: “Justin Shubow, Donald Trump’s ‘Mr. Architecture'”

by Justin Shubow Posted on March 19, 2025

Le Point, a French weekly newspaper, published an interview of me as well as a companion news article, “Donald Trump’s Major Offensive Against ‘Just Really Ugly’ Architecture.” To quote the interview (via Google translate): He is Donald Trump’s Mr. Architecture. Appointed chairman of the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classical architecture, classicism, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Étienne-Louis Boullée, Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Forrestal building, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, General Services Administration, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, President Donald Trump, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. Metro | Leave a comment

My Article for City Journal: Trump Will Beautify Civic Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on February 1, 2025

On January 31, 2025, I published an article for City Journal, a publication of the Manhattan Institute, titled “Trump Is Right: America’s New Buildings Are Ugly.” To quote: President Donald Trump has made it clear that the aesthetics of government … Continue reading →

Posted in Executive Order on federal architecture, FBI building, federal architecture, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, memorandum on federal architecture, National Civic Art Society, National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Station, President Donald Trump, Rebuild Penn Station, uncategorized, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Interviewed at Length by Dezeen

by Justin Shubow Posted on January 29, 2025

Writing for Dezeen, the publication’s editor Tom Ravenscroft interviewed me at length in a January 29, 2025 piece on Trump’s directives re federal architecture: [Shubow] described architects’ responses as “hysterical” and claimed that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is … Continue reading →

Posted in American Institute of Architects (AIA), classical architecture, federal architecture, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, National Endowment for the Arts, President Donald Trump | Leave a comment

How Classical Architecture Can Unite Americans in an Otherwise Divided Time

by Justin Shubow Posted on December 9, 2024

Can classical architecture unite Americans in an otherwise divided time? I said “yes” in a lecture earlier this year. I explored how timeless design rooted in ancient precedents–and employed by the Founding Fathers–bolsters democracy, unity, and civic identity. The talk was … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, classical architecture, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, public talks, Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation | Leave a comment

Video of My NatCon Talk: How We Turned the Tables on Modern Architectural Eyesores

by Justin Shubow Posted on July 25, 2024

On July 10, 2024, I gave a talk on “How We Turned the Tables on Modern Architectural Eyesores” at the National Conservatism conference in Washington, D.C. I discussed policy regarding federal architecture, including President Trump’s Executive Order that re-oriented federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, uncategorized | Leave a comment

Speaking at a Conference in Oslo on Beauty and Ugliness in Architecture

by Justin Shubow Posted on March 15, 2024

I’m pleased to report that I’ll be giving a talk on ordinary people’s preferences in architecture at a conference in Oslo, Norway in May 2024. The theme of the conference is Beauty and Ugliness in Architecture. Other speakers include James … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, federal architecture, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, public talks | Leave a comment

Interviewed on Liberty Law Talk Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 20, 2023

Liberty Law Talk, a podcast of Law & Liberty, featured an interview of National Civic Art Society President Justin Shubow in which he talks about the influence of civic architecture on body politic, the role of the U.S. Commission of … Continue reading →

Posted in American Institute of Architects (AIA), Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, Brutalism, civic architecture, classicism, courthouses, deconstructionism, deconstructivism, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, General Services Administration, George Washington, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Jefferson Memorial, Modernism, monuments, National Civic Art Society, sculpture, Thom Mayne, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, ugliness, Washington, D.C. | Leave a comment

Interviewed on DC EKG Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on November 6, 2023

A show about the “what and why” of Washington, the DC EKG podcast featured an hour-long interview of me. The show is hosted by Joe Grogan, former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council under President Trump, and Eric Ueland, former director of … Continue reading →

Posted in Americans' Preferred Architecture for Federal Buildings, architecture, beauty, civic architecture, courthouses, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, General Services Administration, GSA's Design Excellence Program, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture, Harris Poll, Modernism, National Civic Art Society, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, Walter Gropius | Leave a comment

Discussing Federal Architecture Legislation on First Things Magazine’s Podcast

by Justin Shubow Posted on July 18, 2023

First Things magazine’s July 17, 2023 podcast featured an interview of me by senior editor Mark Bauerlein in which we discussed legislation pending in the U.S. House and Senate that would dramatically re-orient federal architecture from modernism to classical and traditional design. The bills … Continue reading →

Posted in federal architecture, federal architecture legislation, Guiding Principles of Federal Architecture | Leave a comment